Wednesday, December 12, 2012

I'm slightly obsessed with booktubers. If you don't know what a booktuber is then: a booktuber is a Youtuber who makes videos mainly revolving around books including book hauls, book reviews, and bookshelf tours. These are some of my favorite booktubers:

AAHH!!!!!!!!!!! *fangirling* I'm am doing some serious fangirling right now. This Shire necklace is in a giveaway hosted by Nessima over at Arda Nessimava for the Unexpected Blog Party, so go check it out! This necklace would be perfect to show hobbit awareness and LOTR fandoming, so go enter the giveaway now!

Sunday, December 9, 2012

This is a tag/question list/thingy that Nessima over at Arda Nessimava has created for the Unexpected Blog Party which I am now a part of (as you can see in the sidebar). I am starting late so I must catch up on it....if I'm not too lazy. So here we go!

1. How did you first hear about LOTR & The Hobbit?
This may sound very odd, but I first heard about LOTR, and actually knew it, at my church. Yes, my church is obsessed with LOTR. I was around eight years old and my family finally sat down with the movie and BAM! I was hooked. My friends and I would band together and play LOTR after church as our parents talked (for forever!) The real first time I was immersed in LOTR and The Hobbit, was as a very young kid. My mother would get books on tape to listen to in the car and I now very distinctly remember the part where Glorfindel rescues the Fellowship in The Fellowship of the Ring.

2. How many times have you read LOTR/The Hobbit? Or have you yet to read it at all?
Well. I have read both once all the way through maybe two years ago. But now (as you can see in my Goals post) I want to read both every year from now on. So I have read the Fellowship of the Ring twice and I'm working on the Hobbit now. They always make me so happy!!!

3. Would you name your child after a character from it?
Of course, what true Tolkien fan wouldn't. I would probably name a child Eowyn, because she is most definitely my favorite character. I may also name a child Nienor, a most tragic character, from The Children of Hurin. And Faramir is also at the top of my list.

via liga~marta Deviantart

via liga~marta Deviantart

4. What are your thoughts on Tom Bombadil? Do you think he should have been in the movie?
Hm... my thoughts? Well, his chapter in the book is almost solely poetry, so I can see why the left him out. And he was never my favorite, except his house is wonderful! I'm glad the left him out, but I'm also glad they gave some of his lines to Treebeard.

5. Do you have a favourite piece of poetry from any of Tolkien's books?
Um, I don't remember much of the poetry but The Misty Mountains Cold and Lament for Eorl the Young.
6. Have you read any of Tolkien's work besides LOTR and/or The Hobbit?
Yes, and I love them!!! I've read the Children of Hurin and The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun. I especially loved the Children of Hurin with the tragic Turin Turambar and the despairing Nienor.

via John Howe

7. Can you write in the Tengwar?
Alas, I must say that I have not the skill. (yet)

8. Were you at all disappointed that Prince Imrahil wasn't in the movie?
I didn't really mind. I know he played an important role but still....

9. What would happen if you and Denethor were put face to face?
I'd just stare at him and make him feel as uncomfortable as possible. Then, when he opens his mouth to say something maybe I shall head-butt him or something... Food for thought.

10. Would you rather reside in Edoras or Minas Tirith?
Rant: ROHAN!!!! Seriously, who wouldn't want to live in a culture where horses are basically the main thing in your life. Plus, the Anglo-Saxon and Nordic vibe Tolkien and WETA placed in their culture. I love the Celtic knots and the golds, greens, and reds of their tapestries. And some of my favorite characters are from Edoras: Eowyn, Eomer, and Theoden.

11. What think you of Éomer's armour?
More ranting: Oh my goodness! I absolutely, positively, irrevocably am in love with Eomer's armour. Plus, if you look up from the armour you see that lovely face. The armour certainly shows his rank and stature as a captain of the Rohirrim.

12. What do you think of Boromir?
I absolutely loved his character development. I mean, who could get pierced by that many arrows and still stand and fight. Boromir! I loved his death ceremony. When I die, I want to get pushed off a big waterfall.

14. Did you shed any tears when Thorin died?
Not many. I was very sad and slightly mad, but I trusted Tolkien on that one.

15. Which is most terrifying of the following: orcs nabbing you in your sleep, giant spiders crawling out of dark tunnels and forests, Nazgul standing right over where you're hiding, or a ghost army that doesn't like you very much?
Giant spiders. I know you're saying, but Kate, Nazguls are the living dead, they have no faces, how are you not scared of them?! I probably would be scared of them if I were near them, but at this moment a giant spiders would give me a heart attack.

16. How well would you enjoy life as a hobbit? Would it be preferable to being something like, say, an elf? Or a Ranger?
I would very much enjoy the life of a hobbit. It would suit me well. Plus, I'm short! Food is also very important to me. I would of course love to be an elf. But let's look at the big con: THEY ALL LEFT MIDDLE-EARTH!!! I would die after the first week of being a Ranger, enough said.

On the subject of the rest of the Things I Like in December: I will do more of that later. I'm sorry they have been delayed.

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Hope you are feeling well, because I'm not! I hate colds. I seriously think that I will die from a cold. If I can't breathe out of one nostril I DIE!!!
I seriously hope you don't feel my pain. I literally have a tissue and hand sanitizer right next to me so I don't get cold germs on the computer... (Sorry for that.)

I will do these things at the beginning (or near the beginning) of the month called:

Things I'm Into: December

BOOKS:

TBR (To be read): These are the books I hope to be reading in the month of December... Keyword: hoping.

﻿﻿1. I'm really excited because it is...... The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

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I know! And yes, this is my copy. Pretty happy. This is my second time reading it. Love it!

2. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. I'm hoping it will be good.﻿

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3. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. I am already about 200 pages into it. Love it! Saw the TV film version. AMAZING!!! I am now in love with Eddie Redmayne. (Les Mis.....)

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4. Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder. Absolutely loved the first book. Getting me away from children's books and into YA and adult books. Intrigue and murder and conspiracy. I also love Yelena. One of my most favorite female protagonists along with Tris from Divergent by Veronica Roth.

5. Vixens by Jillian Larkin. I love the 1920's. I am a conservative feminist, so I love flappers and what they stood for. I really hope I like this book. Lookin' forward to it. Plus, the cover..... Just look at it, just look at it.

6. Across the Universe by Beth Revis. I have literally heard nothing bad about this from booktubers. Love the cover. The celestial cosmos is very nice and different from regular YA fiction.

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7. The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter. I has mixed feelings at this time so.....

traveller, dreamer, reader.

Saluti,
Hello my lovely readers. I am Kate. First of all, I am a Christian and I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I love God and always will. Travel is my main obsession, primarily Venice and Paris. I also read frequently. Don't mind my speaking in other languages (Google translate is my friend.)
Addio,
Kate.